Ah, the bathroom. That crude reminder that humans are but savage animals with putrid, squalid needs. Polite society likes to pretend that it doesn’t exist — that fluffy toilet lids and endless varieties of magnolia-scented air freshener can will our filth away. Here to take our collective shame to whole new levels of self-denial is Rapsel, an Italian company, which designs toilet fixtures that magically disappear.

People who monopolize conversations are either a) narcissistic jerks doing it on purpose or b) accidental jerks who just need a gentle reminder now and then to shut their yaps. Talk-O-Meter is your secret weapon for the latter category: it's an iPhone app that uses voice recognition and biofeedback to compute, on the fly, which person in a conversation is doing most of the talking. So instead of looking at your watch, or interrupting, you can just point to the Talk-O-Meter screen as if to say, "You might want to wrap this train of thought up."

We admit, we never understood the appeal of resorts that tower like fortresses over places of exquisite natural beauty, whether Hawaii or Cancun, and seem to exist solely to replicate the creature comforts of life in, say, Overland Park, Kansas, only with palm trees and free Mai Tais. They’re a middle finger to the environment — plus, they're boring as hell.

But if we had to stay in a resort, we’d be tempted to hop on over to southern Jordan, where one of the prettiest, most inconspicuous (if questionably eco-friendly) vacation retreats we’ve ever seen is slated to rise.

We're all looking for easy ways to pitch in on the fight against climate change. Reducing our personal carbon footprint is a popular tactic, and student designer Christoph Thetard has created a multi-use, foot-pedal-powered kitchen appliance that will lower your electric bill and impress dinner-party guests.